Paris, Men +102kg: Weightlifting history is made as Lasha claims landmark third Olympic gold

Lasha Talakhadze from Georgia became the fifth weightlifter to win three Olympic gold medals at Paris South Arena tonight. He might even stay around long enough for a fourth, he suggested afterwards.

Super-heavyweight Lasha, as Talakhadze is known throughout the weightlifting world, is the first man weighing 100kg-plus to achieve the feat. He had to work hard this time – far harder than he did in Rio and Tokyo – but he won with a lift to spare when the Armenian Varazdat Lalayan failed with his final attempt.

The winning margin was 3kg, compared with 22kg in 2016 and 47kg in Tokyo. But this was Lasha’s first competition in 328 days because knee injuries had kept him off the platform, and he was not in his very best condition. He remains unbeaten since 2015.

Lasha Talakhadze (GEO)

“Because of my injuries and the strength of the other competitors it was harder,” said Lasha, who will be 31 in October. “The Olympic Games is what really matters and all I wanted to do was win this third medal. I did it, and now I have one for each of my three children.

“My greatest wealth is this medal because it was so difficult to get it. I want to enjoy this moment, feel the happiness from this medal. After that, if my physical condition gives me the chance I will stay in this sport.”

Lasha declined his final attempt after making 215-255-470. Lalayan missed at 256kg and finished 215-252-467. His former team-mate Gor Minasyan was third for Bahrain on 216-245-461. Lasha weighed in at 178.45kg, his heaviest since his world-record victory at the 2021 World Championships.

All three men failed with their final snatch attempt and Minasyan led the other two by 1kg at halfway. Unlike Lalayan and Minasyan, Lasha did not fail with a clean and jerk – although the centre referee gave his 255kg second attempt a red light after a little wobble overhead. There was no jury review.

Varazdat Lalayan (ARM)

Ali Davoudi from Iran and Man Asaad from Syria, who took silver and bronze in Tokyo, were fourth and fifth.

Sixth place went to the hugely impressive Iraqi Ali Ammar Yusur, who was still a teenager when the Olympics began. Ammar, now 20, broke snatch and total junior world records and went for the clean and jerk too on his final attempt, which he missed. He made 200-237-437 and said, “This was my strongest competition and I finished sixth. At the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles, inshallah, I will win gold.”

Ammar will be a very strong favourite for gold at the World Juniors in Spain next month.

Lalayan, 25, said his silver was the most important medal of his career. Asked if he felt he could beat Lasha he said, “I can’t exactly say that. He’s always ready, and I’m always ready to compete with him.”

Minasyan said, “What can you say about the three-time gold medallist? He’s a very good person. We’ve been competing with each other for 15 years and we are friends as well as competitors.”

Gor Minasyan (BRN)

Lasha made the heaviest lift in weightlifting history three years ago, 267kg, when there was talk of him making a 500kg total. He has set countless world records in winning 17 Olympic, world and European titles. But there have been signs of vulnerability during qualifying for Paris.

At the 2023 World Championships in Saudi Arabia last September his coach Giorgi Asanidze said, “The others are closing in on Lasha. The standard he showed today will not be enough any more.”

Today was Lasha’s first competition since then. His total was down 3kg on the World Championships.

The other four triple champions are Lasha’s national federation president Kakhi Kakhiashvili, IWF vice-president Pyrros Dimas, who also won a bronze to end his stellar career for Greece, and two lifters who achieved the feat for Turkey, Halil Mutlu and the late Naim Suleymanoglu. The four won their medals between 1988 and 2004. Their ages, when they won for a third time, ranged from 28 to 31.

Kakhi – also known simply by his forename – said before the Olympics, “It is much more difficult for a heavyweight athlete to keep in shape for a long period of time. Should Lasha claim his third title he would probably be named the best weightlifter of all time already based on the combination of all of his achievements.

“Should we all be blessed with Lasha’s fourth Olympic gold medal he would definitely get the title of all-time best and keep it for a very long time. It is my dream for Lasha to celebrate his fourth Olympic gold.”

After Lasha’s victory, Kakhi said he expected Lasha to take a break for a month and return to training.

“He is a professional, I think he can keep going. My plan is to host the European Championships in Georgia in 2026, probably in Batumi. That would be the setting for Lasha to make his 500.”

By Brian Oliver